


why did groudon have to be in an underwater cavern

by Mattecat



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Ruby & Sapphire & Emerald | Pokemon Ruby Sapphire Emerald Versions
Genre: M/M, Panic Attacks, written before oras
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-23
Updated: 2015-01-23
Packaged: 2018-03-08 19:32:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3220790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mattecat/pseuds/Mattecat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Maxie has a panic attack in a submarine when they're going to wake up Groudon. Tabitha helps him get through it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	why did groudon have to be in an underwater cavern

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this for one of my friends for the holidays. Love That Leadershipshipping
> 
> it has a terrible end I just kept going and going and then just scribbled "and then they kiss or something they are Dating" and mailed it to my friend but luckily I have removed that part from this Official Publication

The plan had gone perfectly; Team Magma had successfully stolen the submarine and the parts needed to reach the depths of the sea, and now they had a team of their best members crammed inside, all filled with a sense of thrill and anticipation as they travelled to the deep-sea cavern to wake Groudon.  
  
Tabitha would feel the same if there hasn't been something off about Maxie.  
  
Ever since they had climbed inside the submarine, Team Magma's leader had seemed tense, and Tabitha kept glancing at him as they dove deeper and deeper. Maxie was staring straight ahead, his mouth set in a hard line, and Tabitha noticed that he was taking deep breaths. His hands were folded in his lap, clutching the fabric of his pants so tight that his knuckles had gone white, and he seemed oblivious to how Tabitha had been staring at him for most of the trip.  
  
"Sir," he said, cautiously. "Is there anything wrong?"  
  
Maxie closed his eyes, and his hands loosened their grip. "No," he said. "I'm fine. Everything's fine. There's no need to –" He shook his head. "There's nothing wrong, Tabitha."  
  
Tabitha almost asked if he was sure, but decided against it. If there was something wrong, Maxie didn't want him asking about it, and that was enough reason for him to let the matter drop. Instead, Tabitha focused on how they were halfway to the cavern, how Team Magma was so close to achieving its goal, and how being pressed up against Maxie's side in the cramped space of the submarine was definitely not giving him any mixed feelings, or any feelings at all, and decidedly did not focus on how they were so close he could feel Maxie's breathing –  
  
The submarine made a noise. It wasn't much different from the noises it had been making, just a creak or a whine or something that Tabitha could barely hear over the rumbling of the engine. But Maxie flinched, his breathing fell out of its steady rhythm, and Tabitha realized that something was definitely wrong.  
  
"Sir," he started, and then stopped when he turned to see Maxie bent over in his seat, breathing hard and fast. His hands were trembling, and when Tabitha put a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to… do what? – Calm him? Reassure him? – he could feel his pulse racing.  
  
The grunts around them didn't seem to notice anything wrong. Tabitha thought quickly, taking his hand away – hyperventilation, shaking, racing pulse – he remembered these symptoms from his childhood. Maxie was having a panic attack.  
  
He had to do something before the grunts noticed. Tabitha thought back to when he used to have panic attacks, tried to remember the strategies he used for getting over them.  
  
"Sir," he said, keeping his voice low. "You're alright. You're here, with me, and our highest-ranked grunts. You're going to be fine."  
  
Maxie shuddered. "Yes. Absolutely. We're fine. We're fine. Oh, God..."  
  
"Can you take deep breaths?"  
  
He shook his head. "No. Might run out of oxygen. There's too many people here and we're underwater and we're _sinking_."  
  
Maxie was keeping his voice low too, but even so, the nearby grunts were giving them worried looks. Tabitha raised his head up and glared at them until they averted their gaze, then bent down to talk to Maxie again. "We're fine. The submarine is fine. We have enough oxygen for a much longer trip than this. It's okay to breathe."  
  
"Are you sure? Are you really sure? What if we didn't put in the parts right? What if the submarine can't handle going this deep? What if –"  
  
Tabitha had to interrupt him before he kept going. "Sir. You're not being rational. Take deep breaths until you calm down."  
  
"We might all _drown_ and you're telling me to be _rational_?"  
  
Maxie's voice was pitched high in fear, and the grunts were definitely noticing that something was wrong. Tabitha glanced around them at all the stares and cursed inwardly.  
  
Nothing to be done now. What he needed to do was get Maxie through this.  
  
"Sir," he said. When that didn't elicit a response, he tried again. "Maxie."  
  
Maxie swallowed hard and looked up. "Tabitha," he said. "Are you sure we're going to be alright?"  
  
"Yes. Can you breathe with me?"  
  
He nodded. "Okay," Tabitha said, and he put his hand on his shoulder again. "With me. Breathe in..."  
  
Maxie gripped the hand on his shoulder and closed his eyes, breathing in unison with Tabitha. After a few breaths together, his grip loosened, and he shook his head. "That's... that's enough. I'm fine. We're fine."  
  
Tabitha frowned. Maxie was still pale, and his hands were still trembling. "Are you sure you're alright, sir?"  
  
"No, I'm convinced we're all going to die, but I can make it to the cavern." Maxie ran his free hand through his hair. "God, why couldn't Groudon be... I don't know, anywhere other than here. Underwater. Jesus _Christ_."  
  
Tabitha didn't know what to say to that, and they didn't end up exchanging any more words until the submarine reached its destination.  
  
Maxie was the first to clamber up the ladder to the outside, and after giving one of the grunts instructions, Tabitha climbed up after him. Maxie kneeled on the ground, holding his head and taking deep breaths, and Tabitha kneeled down next to him. "Sir, are you alright?"  
  
"Yes. I'm fine. God, going back to the surface is going to be a nightmare." Maxie shook his head again. "Not as bad as that was, though. Jesus Christ. Why did Groudon have to be in an underwater cavern?"  
  
"I don't know, sir."  
  
Maxie took another deep breath and stood up. "Thank you," he said. "For... assisting me back there. It would've been much worse otherwise."  
  
Tabitha nodded. "It was nothing, sir."  
  
Maxie frowned. "It's fine to drop the 'sir' when we're alone."  
  
"...huh?"  
  
"I understand keeping the formalities in front of the grunts, but you don't have to call me 'sir' when we're alone. I'd like to think you're more than just my most trusted admin."  
  
"Uh..." Tabitha was completely caught off guard, and so was Maxie, once he realized what he had said.  
  
"Not that I'm... _implying_ anything," he said quickly. "You're just... extremely important to me, and... goddammit, we don't have time for this, we need to wake up Groudon."  
  
Tabitha shook his head to clear his mind, chasing away any stray thoughts. "Yes. Groudon."  
  
"Exactly. Fetch the rest of the grunts."  
  
"Right," Tabitha said.  
  
Just as he turned to leave, Maxie spoke up again.  
  
"And Tabitha... honestly, thank you. You were... a great help."  
  
"It was nothing, s- Maxie."  
  
Maxie smiled. "Well, thank you anyway."


End file.
